| |||||
Books: Travel: Bloomington
You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com: The Ultimate Internet Travel Guide (You Are Here, 4)by Eric Leebow and John E. Discala Available from Amazon $14.95 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "True to its subtitle, this "Ultimate Internet Travel Guide" has it all." The Bookhaven "It's so helpful, you'll be hesitant to loan your copy to others" |
Hundred Thousand Fools of God, The: Musical Travels in Central Asia (and Queens, New York)by Theodore Levin and Theodore Levin Available from Amazon $29.95 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Product Review When a Princeton-trained ethnomusicologist returns to follow up his studies in the Central Asian nations east of china and north of Afghanistan, he stumbles into a cornucopia of music, history, and religion. With a trusty guide called OM, Theodore Levin travels back and forth through the newly liberated cities and countryside of an ancient land that is home to such exotic names as Tashkent and Samarkand. Levin writes not only about his successes in identifying and recording the musical traditions of the area but also of the experiences of the people under Soviet rule, the myths that are kept alive through music, and the healers that use music as therapy. Levin finds a complex and colorful mix of ethnic and religious traditions where music unites Jew, Muslim, and shaman. The Hundred Thousand Fools of God is more than just a travel diary: it is a snapshot of an evolving culture. And the accompanying CD is divine. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Publishers Weekly Dartmouth professor Levin ventures in search of "the 100,000 fools of god," those enlightened Central Asian musicians whose art conveys both moral and spiritual power. He's interested in how musical life "reflects the fluid boundaries and identities" of people in the rich cultural domain sometimes known as "Transoxania" now that Soviet domination of the region has ended. From Uzbekistan to Tvarkist, and through parts of Kyrghyzstan and Kazakhstan, Levin travels in an old Russian auto with a fellow ethnomusicologist and Sufi chauffeur as companions. The subject is music, but Levin uses it to cast a wider light, revealing places of considerable sorrow long hidden in the shadows of Soviet power, and to create a travelogue with wide potential appeal. Along the way he encounters men who entertain him lavishly without asking his name, brilliant forgotten composers, baxshis (healers) and a thoughtful Uzbeki pop star. Gracefully responsive to craft, Levin takes in architecture, food and cultural mores. He cannily appraises cultural issues in polyglot cultures where nationalism threatens indigenous musics?many practiced by both Muslims and Jews?as much as Soviet policy ever did. Candor about his own uncertainties and personal struggles helps make this a personal as well as a scholarly adventure. A superb accompanying 24-track CD with location recordings proves integral to Levin's commentary. Copyright 1996 Reed business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. |
Hammond World Travel Atlas (Hammond World Travel Atlas)by Hammond World Atlas Corporation List Price: $65.00 Available from Amazon $40.95 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page From Booklist Hammond, now a part of Langenscheidt Publishing, has produced an atlas with a new concept. It is billed as a source of geographic knowledge as well as a travel guide. The 300-plus pages of maps are of good quality but are littered with "pictograms," which are icons identifying features and attractions. There are more than 100 of these color-coded symbols. Natural attractions are blue or green; cultural sites are yellow. The subjects of the pictograms are diverse--glaciers, deserts, wildlife reserves, museums, battlefields, markets, festivals, impressive skylines, Aborigine reservations, hill resorts, places of interest for religious cultures, and more. An extreme example of the pictograms is a double-page spread of Hispaniola and Lesser Antilles filled with symbols as well as names of cities, national parks, and airports. The pictograms used on a particular page are listed at the bottom of the page, but on a map it is difficult to distinguish an active volcano from a rock landscape or a memorial from a palace. The atlas is visually attractive, with many color photographs. Each double-page spread of maps has a border of small photographs with a description of sites or attractions and a grid locator. Descriptive information on countries is very limited. No mention is made of current wars or conflicts. The index contains about 100,000 entries with pictograms and page and grid locators. It is unfortunate that the example used in the good explanation of how to use the index lists an incorrect page number. The use in the index of international license-plate codes for identifying countries is confusing. Who would guess that ROU is Uruguay or SP is Somalia? The Hammond World Travel Atlas is a medium-sized atlas with competition from DK's World Atlas (2005), Oxford's Atlas of the World (2004), and the Reader's Digest Illustrated World Atlas (2004). It could be considered by any library that wants a current atlas with a new twist. Christine Bulson |
Fodor's Where to Weekend Around Chicago, 1st Edition (Special-Interest Titles)by Fodor's List Price: $16.95 Available from Amazon $11.86 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page |
Bloomington Past and Present:by I. Wilmer Counts, James H. Madison, Scott R. Sanders, and Will Counts Available from Amazon $29.95 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Book Description The works of world-class photographer Will Counts, prize-winning writer Scott Sanders, and renowned historian Jim Madison comprise this "Gift to the City," a gift not only for today's residents, but for the legions of ex- residents worldwide who love this unique--and mythical--plot of ground. About The Author Scott Russell Sanders was born in Tennessee and grew up in Ohio. He studied at Brown University before going on, as a Marshall Scholar, to complete a Ph.D. in English literature at Cambridge University. In 1971 he joined the faculty of Indiana University, where he is Distinguished Professor of English and where he directs the Wells Scholars Program. Writing from the Center, a personal account of the quest for a meaningful and moral life, won the 1996 Great Lakes Book Award. His most recent books are hunting for Hope (1998), The Country of Language (1999), and The Force of Spirit. |
Additional Pages: 1 2 3
Other Shops:
Books
Resources
Most Watched Book Auctions
Bloomington at Sduf
Book Review Directory
Reviewed Authors
Reviewed Titles
Review List
Site Map
